


Columbidae

by MapleMooseMuffin



Series: 12 Days of Sheithmas (2018) [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, day 2 of my sheithmas thing, it isn't obvious but they're together okay, metaphorical piece, pre-Season 8, soft sheith, which is a thing now I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-18 12:16:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16994853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleMooseMuffin/pseuds/MapleMooseMuffin
Summary: Shiro and Keith catch a moment of peace in between the rebuilding efforts, and a glimpse at a good omen.--On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves.





	Columbidae

**Author's Note:**

> These little drabbles are actually a nice warm up for me, so I think I'll keep doing them. Plus it helps me feel productive during a crunch time where I otherwise feel like I'm just spinning my gears.
> 
> I should say this is pre-season 8, because I haven't watched it yet. I'm forcing myself to meet a certain writing quota on the secret santa piece I have in the works before I dive into that emotional minefield lol So don't spoil me!
> 
> Enjoy~

There's a lot to do in preparation for the coming war -- the ongoing war, rather, and Earth's imminent entrance to the field. The Paladins and their Altean teammates officially live in the Atlas once everyone is formally discharged from the hospital, but they spend equal amounts of their time at the Garrison, buried deep in war rooms and strategy meetings or on the training fields, imparting everything they've learned to the last of Earth's defense force. Cadets are tasked with helping the civilians reestablish their lives, while anyone of fighting age who wants to help is put through rigorous battle training. As captain of the Atlas and leader of Voltron, Shiro and Keith are right in the thick of it, giving demonstrations and sparring with the recruits for hours on end, honing their bodies into the precision weapons they have to be.

They don't hold back like they used to on the training floor. They can't afford to.

And yet, there is still room to breathe and catch oneself, after a grueling session of endless combat cycles. Keith is due for a flight exercise with the Paladins in an hour, while Shiro has a strategy meeting with Iverson, Sam, and Coran at the same time, but for now there is a window of opportunity for lunch, and a short break.

Dripping sweat and stripped down to tank tops and sweatpants, they walk side by side toward the rare patch of greenery outside the mess hall. Shiro's Altean hand clutches twin paper bags of Hunk's finest cooking – a special privilege of Team Voltron.

It's cool, but not cold outside. It never does quite get cold here. They settle on a bench at the edge of the grassy space and tuck into their lunches, falling into a quiet peace surrounded by the soft sound of a few birds in the nearby trees. It's nice to have these quiet moments together. They don't get many of them anymore.

A rolling bird call sets itself apart from the others, and before long a pigeon flutters down to the ground a few feet from their bench. Keith watches it quietly, already tearing off a little piece of bread from his lunch to toss to the hungry creature. But before he can flick it over, the bird has latched onto a twig and taken off.

"Oh," Keith mumbles.

"He must be making a nest," Shiro says.

Keith looks to where the bird flew off. It's hard to see where exactly it went through the clutter of leaves that have yet to fall. "It's kind of late for that, isn't it?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well it's December. Aren't birds usually settled in by now?"

Shiro makes a thoughtful sound and considers it for a moment. The bird comes back, cooing as he hops about the little field in search of another prime twig.

"There's a lot to rebuild." Shiro says. Keith looks at him. "Maybe he's making a new home, now that the Galra are gone."

A second cooing comes as the bird's mate flies down to help in his quest for nest materials.

"I didn't realize we had pigeons out here," Keith says causally, turning back to his lunch. He tosses out the bread crumb just in case, but the birds are busy inspecting a stick with two leaves still loosely attached. It seems too big for either one of them to carry.

"I think they're doves, actually." Shiro says.

"Doves?"

Keith has no idea how to tell the difference between birds, but Shiro sounds confident enough. The birds each take a try at lifting the little branch, but Keith was right. It's too heavy.

"Yeah." Shiro sounds far away as he says it.

Together the birds each grab an end of the stick and take off together, using team work to rebuild their home.

Keith thinks of the shack sitting out in the desert a few miles away, and the work it'll take to get it back into shape. His plans to bring Shiro and his mother out there, when the war is said and done. The home he wants to make with them.

"Rebuilding is a good sign," Keith decides. Shiro nods.

"It's a sign of peace."

**Author's Note:**

> Once when I was in London, I pointed out some birds to my mom and said, "Look at the pigeons!" and a British man jumped in to snappishly tell me "Those are doves."
> 
> \--
> 
> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/maplmoosemuffin) or [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/MapleMooseMuffin). <3
> 
> And for the record, I'll be writing more Voltron for probably years to come.~


End file.
